NEWS ON CONGO 055: Successes for the resistance
Rolf Martens
[Posted: 15.10.02]
Note: On websites with information on the DR Congo and for
some contact addresses, see endnote last in this posting.
INTRO NOTE:
According to various news reports, last Saturday, 12.10.2002,
the last Rwandan occupation soldier left the DR Congo - it
still remains to be ascertained whether this is true - and
forces of the Mai-Mai, the most important resistance movement
in the east, have recently gained control of Uvira, on the
Lake Tanganyika, jubilantly greeted by the people there.
In this item, some of these recent news reports are reproduced
and briefly commented on, after first some general information
about the situation in the DR Congo and its development in re-
cent years.
End of intro note
THE LARGE-SCALE IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION AGAINST THE
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, INTENDED TO
COUNTER AND STRIKE DOWN THE ALSO INTERNATIONALLY
IMPORTANT LIBERATION MOVEMENT OF ITS PEOPLE
In the DR Congo, then called "Zaire", an uprising against the
Mobutu dictatorship which had oppressed and fleeced the peop-
le in favour of imperialism since 35 years back, started in
late 1996 and was victorious on 17.05.1997, when the present
state, the Democratic Republic of Congo, was founded. The li-
beration struggle was led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, who also
became the first president of the DRC.
The DR Congo from the start set itself the goal of freeing
the country from imperialist exploitation and building up an
actually democratic form of government in it, thereby also
setting up an example for all of Africa and for similarly ex-
ploited countries elsewhere.
Because of this, the US and other imperialists instigated a
war of aggression against that country on 02.08.1998 by three
neighbouring states, a war which so far, directly or indi-
rectly, has cost the lives of over 3,000,000 people and which
still continues. A large part of the DR Congo today remains
under foreign occupation. The people in the whole country
continues to suffer enormously. It very much needs the support
of the people in all other countries.
After the foul murder of L-D Kabila on 16.01.2001, his son,
Joseph Kabila, was installed as president; a government led
by J. Kabila has continued the struggle against the aggres-
sion since then.
From 25.02.2002 on, a conference was held in Sun City, South
Africa, in which attempts by the imperialists to gain control
over the whole of the DR Congo by so-called "peaceful" means
were confronted by the strivings of the Congolese people and
the country's lawful government to retain the independence of
the DRC.
A "peace plan", meaning in practice utter capitulation for the
Congolese people, was proposed by the South African president
Mbeki on 11.04 but was not accepted by the government of the
DRC, which instead on 17.04 ended the "inter-Congolese dia-
logue" at Sun City by coming to a peace agreement, supported
also by the Mai-Mai movement in the occupied east, with one of
those Congolese groups which had been acting as invaders' pup-
pets in the war, the "MLC", closely connected with Uganda.
The "MLC" leader J-P Bemba accepted the offer of premiership
in an interim government, intended to prepare for parliamenta-
ry elections, while the puppet of Rwanda (and the Congolese
force most closely of all connected with the US imperialists),
the "RCD/Goma", though offered posts too, refused to partici-
pate and violently attacked this agreement, backed in this by
the main international imperialist mass media.
The concluding of this agreement was a considerable concession
by the lawful government of the DR Congo, but, as argued by me
in "NOC 044" (20.04.02), probably a necessary one under the
circumstances, and one which rather importantly split those
forces which had been invading the country.
Unification of the national territory of the DR Congo was
agreed on between the government, controlling some 40% of it,
and the "MLC", holding 30%, while the Rwandan army, still re-
fusing to withdraw, together with its puppet continued to
hold the remaining 30% of that territory under occupation.
On 30.07.2002, an agreement was signed between the Congolese
and the Rwandan governments, in which the latter had to con-
cede, because of its growing isolation both internationally
and within Rwanda itself, the following, as the main point
of that agreement:
"The government of Rwanda affirms that it is ready to
withdraw its forces from the territory of the DRC as
soon as effective measures answering its security con-
cerns have been taken, notably on the question of the
disarming of the ex-FAR and Interahamwe forces [this
last was a mere pretext for Rwanda's aggression, one
of several such, and no real question - see various
earlier items in this series - RM], such as has been
agreed on. The retreat of the forces is to start at
the same time as the carrying out of these measures.
Both points are to be verified by the MONUC [UN mis-
sion in the DR Congo], the Joint Military Commission
and the third party."
And in the last few weeks, a Rwandan withdrawal reportedly in
fact has taken place, whether now complete or not, but in any
case still leaving on Congolese territory considerable milita-
ry forces which are puppets of the direct aggressors, and in
the final instance, of US imperialism.
- RM, April/July/October 2002
SOME RECENT REPORTS
1) Withdrawal of the Rwandan aggressor and occupation
forces began on 17 September, according to various
sources.
2) An recent AFP news report (in translation from the
French):
'13 October [2002], 16h09 [CET]
The Mai-Mai militiamen are in control of the Congolese city
of Uvira
By Hervé Bar
Eight days after the end of the withdrawal of the Rwandan
troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) [there
are some conflicting reports on when, and whether, this with-
drawal was completed - RM], the Mai-Mai militiamen, traditio-
nally allied to Kinshasa, took control this Sunday [13.10] of
the important city of Uvira, close to the Burundian border.
They chased away from the city the rebels [" " - RM] of the
Rassemblement congolais pour la démocratie (RCD, supported by
Rwanda), which seem to have difficulties in keeping the con-
trol, alone, of those enormous territories, approximately
one-third of the eastern ex-Zaire, which they were earlier
controlling together with the Rwandan army.
With a population estimated at some 130,000 inhabitants, Uvira
is the second-largest city in the province of South Kivu, and
so far the most important city lost by the RCD after the end
of the Rwandan withdrawal. The RCD is accusing [! - once more
this typical stance of the international imperialist media;
they have the gall to say that the aggressors' quisling pup-
pets are *accusing* the country's government of daring to
defend the country against their and their masters' assault
on it - RM] Kinshasa of standing behind the Mai-Mai of Uvira.
The population circulated freely on Sunday afternoon in the
main street of the city, accompanying the Mai-Mai fighters,
dancing and shouting "It's the country's children who've taken
power; we don't want the RCD; we want a Kinshasa government",
as overheard by an AFP journalist.
The Mai-Mai fighters say they have captured a large amounts
of arms and have taken some two hundred prisoners. They say
the fighting for taking the city only cost them some wounded
as casualties. Supported by the Banyamulenge, Congolese Tutsis
[whom according to one other propaganda pretext, the Rwandan
troops came in "to protect" - RM], the Mai-Mai have pushed the
RCD rebels [" " - RM] back to the road which leads to the
nearby Burundian border.
They entered Uvira on foot, wearing different kinds of uni-
forms. Some of them were in civilian attire. They are well
armed as a whole, with notably automatic small-arms. Some
Congolese Tutsi dissidents of the RCD took part in the taking
of the city.
In the early afternoon, the "mopping-up" of the city by Mai-
Mai forces continued, and sporadic bursts of automatic-weapons
fire resounded in almost all blocks, it was observed.
Rebels [" "] of the RCD are still scattered around, and have
hidden in the houses, according to one Mai-Mai representative.
No members of the Burundian Hutu rebellion or the Rwandan
Hutus seem to have participated in the taking of Uvira, accor-
ding to observations.
[A comment:
In the propaganda of the direct aggressors and their
backers, the lie that the resistance against them
"is allied to" or "is supporting" certain militias
of Rwandan Hutu origin, the Interahamwe, who were res-
ponsible for massacres in that country in 1994 and
later fled to some other countries including the DR
Congo, has often been repeated. And despite what this
report from Uvira itself says, on the total absence of
such forces there, the BBC still tried on, in one
report at 21:42 GMT the same day:
"Regional security sources say that groups far more
dangerous than the Mai Mai are fighting alongside
them.
They cited Burundi and Hutu rebel movements, the
Forces for the Defence of Democracy or FDD and the
Rwandan Hutu militia responsible for the 1994 genocide
the Interahamwe."
In this kind of continued blatant lying it can be seen
again how important the aggression against the DR
Congo still is, to a number of imperialists.
- RM]
The taking of the city caused little damage, apart from pil-
laging by the troops of the RCD during their flight. The port
of Kalundu, on the southern outskirts of the city, in this
way was emptied totally. Several stores and warehouses of the
central district of Mulongwe were pillaged and inhabitants
subjected to robbery.
The Mai-Mai on Sunday afternoon made secure an area north of
the city close to the Burundian border, in the direction of
which the RCD troops had been pushed back.
"We have no reason to cross the border. We are simply going
to safeguard the north of the city and to prevent a counter-
offensive by the RCD", the Chief of Staff of the Fourth Bri-
gade of the Mai-Mai, commander Ekofo Loyowa told the AFP.
"Now it's over, the city is ours; we're not going to retreat",
said another commander to the AFP.
According to eyewitness reports, the Burundian army is de-
ployed on the Burundian side of the border. Some twenty woun-
ded RCD soldiers have been evacuated to the hospital at Bu-
jumbura [capital of Burundi], these eyewitnesses say too.
At least two hundred fleeing RCD rebels [" "] had assembled
early in the afternoon on the Congolese side of the border
with Burundi. Some of them took off their uniforms and threw
away their weapons in order to be able to cross the border,
observed a correspondent to the AFP.'
3) An AFP news report of today (in translation):
'The RCD stops the advance of the Mai-Mai militia towards
Bukavu
Bujumbura, 15 Oct [2002], AFP
The rebels [" "] of the Rassemblement congolais pour la démo-
cratie (RCD, supported by Rwanda) have stopped the advance
of the pro-government Mai-Mai militias towards Bukavu, main
city of the South Kivu province in the eastern DR Congo, we
have learned on Tuesday from concurring sources.
Coming from the city of Uvira, of which they took control on
Sunday, chasing the RCD soldiers away, the Mai-Mai continued
in the direction of Bukavu, some 100 km further north and
commanding the only road that traverses the Rusizi plains
(border zone between the RD Congo, Rwanda and Burundi).
They were reinforced by several Mai Mai groups which were
already stationed along that axis.
The Mai-Mai fighters have been halted in their advance along
a line close to Luvungi (50 km north of Uvira) by troops of
the RCD which attacked them in the rear, having passed through
Burundian territory, according to military circles in Uvira
and in Kigali [capital of Rwanda], contacted from Bujumbura.
In reply to questions by the AFP about this, a Mai-Mai repre-
sentative has confirmed this information. He accused however
the Rwandan and Burundian armies of having participated in
this operation alongside the RCD.
These accusations have not been confirmed by any independent
source.
In the course of these confrontation, the Vice Chief of Staff
of the RCD, the commander Malik Kidjige, escaped from an am-
bush, according to a source close to the rebel [" "] move-
ment [" "].
Many armed groups, amongthem Burundian Hutu rebels and Rwan-
dan Hutu extremists, are active on the vast plains of the Ru-
sizi. [Once more this propaganda lie and pretext for the ag-
gression in the interests of the imperialists; see above - RM]
An important Banyamulenge community (Congolese Tutsis of the
South Kivu) likewise are located there.
In Uvira itself, the night from Monday to Tuseday passed
calmly and without any incidents. On Monday, a famous Mai-
Mai leader from the South Kivu, a fighter since the 1960s,
General Zabouloni, was received in triumph by the people
of the city.'
_______________________________________________________________
"NEWS ON CONGO" postings bring statements by the Congo National
Association in Sweden and the DR Congo Committee in Sweden and
also reproduce information and analysis from other sources.
Postings are sent to:
- some 30 Usenet newsgroups, on politics and/or on Africa
- some 5 international discussion mailing lists
- some 400 private, media or governmental e-mail addresses
[This endnote is being updated continually, in order to show
readers where at the time they can best get information. Last
update of this note: 20.04.2002.]
Some websites with information in English and/or in French on
the DR Congo:
Official site of the DR Congo:
http://www.rd-congo.com/
Site of the DR Congo's Permanent Mission at the UN:
http://www.un.int/drcongo/
(With much information, i.a. continually updated news in
French and English; NB new address this year)
Kinshasa newspaper l'Avenir:
http://www.groupelavenir.com
The Mai-Mai movement, fighting the aggressors in the east:
http://www.congo-mai-mai.net
Mjumbe wa Kivu, a site on the occupied Kivu province, with
i.a. a forum to which the Mai-Mai movement and also the
resistance movement les Forces Républicaines Féderalistes
have contributed: www.kivu.net
Great Lakes Press: http://pages.infinit.net/glp/index.htm
Congo 2000: www.congo2000.com
Digitalcongo.net: http://www.digitalcongo.net
Two Belgium-based sites support the struggle of the DR Congo:
www.lai-aib.org/index_fr.htm and www.ptb.be/Solidaire.htm
Two other Belgium-based sites: ATMA: www.atma.net and Congon-
line: www.congonline.com (the last only for subscribers).
An English-language website managed by Richard Alcorn, USA,
with i.a. much material from August 1998 on from us supporters
of the DR Congo in Sweden: www.crocker.com/~acacia/congo.html
(This site has no more recent material; last updated Nov 1998)
AllAfrica.com: http://allafrica.com/congo_kinshasa/
(Replaces an earlier site, Africanews)
Marekinc: http://www.marekinc.com
(Managed by Ed Marek, formerly of the US Air Force. Often ap-
parently well-informed and, of late, containing considerable
criticism of the official US position on the aggression. Its
informations should be treated with great caution anyway, ex-
perience shows.)
"Rebel" aggressor puppets, a site based in South Africa:
www.congo.co.za
Three discussion sites of interest:
www.egroups.com/list/congokin_opinions
(Belgium-based. E-group discussions are in French and English.
For participation, contact <ps...@avalon.net> or <congokin_
opinion...@egroups.com>.)
www.egroups.com/list/cdf
(Congo Defence Fund)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CONGOTRIBUNE/
(Founded 09.11.2001)
Some contact addresses:
Congo National Association
Box 5343 SE - 102 45
Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 - 8 - 471 96 26 (chairman)
+46 - 8 - 84 57 18 (facility)
Fax: +46 - 8 - 751 26 06
DR Congo Committee (Chairman: Bony Ndjov-a-Shamalo)
c/o Rolf Martens
Nobelvaegen 38U4
SE - 214 33 Malmoe
Sweden
Tel: +46 - 40 - 12 48 32
E-mail: congo...@hotmail.com